In the Meantime - A Fade Retelling of Red Queen

Chapter 1

A/N: Warning: Smut, gore and horror elements ahead.

She was neither a naive little girl, nor could she go on pretending that professional distance kept her from Shade Barrow. It wasn't. It had vanished the moment they'd watched the Queenstrial together, or, to be more exact, once they'd started kissing in the alley they'd hid in. Diana Farley knew where this was going. Dating, infatuation, attraction, love, whatever name she out on her feelings for Shade, it didn't change them. She wanted him. She'd tried to delude herself for months, even more so during the days after the kissing incident.

But what bad a liar I am to myself, she thought as she met him again, weeks later when they were sent on the same mission.

Farley hadn't lived up to her promise about protecting Mare in the end. Or not yet. The contacts in Summerton and the news themselves reported on Mare Barrow's state frequently, although they called her the fortunately re-appeared "Mareena Titanos". If that didn't play into their plans, Farley might've been tempted to check if any of the cover-up story was true. They could be merit in that, to know whether the Silvers of Norta had reasons to believe the story or whether they all knew this was merely a ploy to mesmerize the gullible Reds with a fairy tale. Farley had looked through Elara Merandus's show easily. The whisper queen knew how to sway people and present a pretty and seductive image, that wasn't a surprise. It had merely reminded Farley how much she wanted to punch her in the face. But with that ability, would she even have a chance? Or would Merandus suck out their plans together with their cause and their souls?

She hoped Mare would survive her and the rest of the royals and the court, although Shade had insisted that Mare was the most resilient person he knew.

Farley hadn't asked if she was a match for Mare in that regard. She'd been tempted. But she'd see for herself, once she was back in Summerton and Albanus. Tristan ran things there in her stead and waited for Mare to contact them again. Everyone in Command was certain Mare would ally with them, the Scarlet Guard, but even while she lived in luxury and baited with a crown? Command, mostly Palace, had insisted leverage was needed and decided Barrow couldn't be informed about her brother's survival, to maintain her motivation to rebel. A careful approach, but Farley doubted any Red worth taking part in their cause would lean back and rely on crowned heads and the limited "changes" the Silver monarchies would deign to offer. So far, Shade had quietly accepted this scheme. But she didn't believe he was happy about it.

For now, she was ordered to keep an eye on Shade Barrow during the spying mission assigned to him. She'd snorted at the task, one that any operative would've managed, but she was Shade's handler and, deep down, excited to see him again. She'd missed his telegrams lately, and their work in Corvium had proved effective as well. As far as she'd heard, his journey into obscure safety was strenuous, even worse than the days she spent in hiding because of the Guard video she'd starred in.

Now he stood in front of her, amused beneath his obvious exhaustion. She stopped herself from grinning back. Or falling into his arms. Not that she didn't consider it. "I guess you found your way to the Rift in time," she said instead, and patted his shoulder.

He sighed and took her hand, weaving his fingers between hers, a gesture she ignored decidedly. "I'm okay," he said in a husky voice.

She nodded. "We're supposed to search Lord Laris's country mansion for intelligence on the Rift's mines and techie towns. We have contacts and supporters in there, but we need to learn more about supply lines and their schedules, both to avoid and to raid them. A collaborator relayed to us that the mansion will be empty this evening until 2200."

"I know all that." He winked.

Finally, she pulled her hand away. "So? I'm surprised your telegrams were that explicit."